Commerce 4SA3 - International Business SUMMER 2019 Course … · 2019-07-30 · Page 1 of 24 4SA3 – Spring 2019 Commerce 4SA3 - International Business SUMMER 2019 Course Outline

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4SA3 – Spring 2019

Commerce 4SA3 - International Business

SUMMER 2019 Course Outline all Sections

Strategic Management Area

DeGroote School of Business

McMaster University

COURSE OBJECTIVE

1. To introduce the student to current theory and practice in international business and compare those

practices with Canada.

2. To enhance the student's ability to produce creative, action-oriented, practical solutions to international

business problems.

3. To improve the student's ability to communicate effectively, in writing and orally, in an international

business context.

This course requires considerable reading and/or preparation of case studies for each class. Failure to adequately

prepare will reduce the learning that this course can offer. Your ability to analyse information will be constantly

challenged.

INSTRUCTOR AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor and Contact Information

Instructor : Timothy Fung

E-mail : [email protected]

All sections / cores will be held in DSB AB103 Teaching Assistant(s)

Tues/Thurs 6:30 – 9:30 Sofia ([email protected])

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COURSE ELEMENTS

Credit Value: 3 Leadership: Yes IT skills: Yes Global view: Yes

Avenue: Yes Ethics: Yes Numeracy: Yes Written skills: Yes

Participation: Yes Innovation: Yes Group work: Yes Oral skills: Yes

Credit Value: 3 Leadership: Yes IT skills: Yes Global view: Yes

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This survey course provides a broad introduction to international business in the contemporary world.

Accordingly, the course covers a wide range of material touching on the international environment and on the

operational issues encountered by firms doing business within that environment. It will seek to integrate and

expand on the principles learned in core courses throughout the Commerce program. It will also focus on ethical

issues in the international environment, seeking to show students how Multi National Corporations’ (MNCs’)

actions impact the rest of the world.

Approximately half of the course will focus on trade, investment theory, and the environment, the remainder on

strategy and the adaptation of managerial activities to the international environment. We will seek to use Canada

and Canadian practices as a comparison point.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to complete the following key tasks:

➢ Understand some of the complexities of doing business in foreign markets.

➢ Analyze the business environment of a foreign market and identify business opportunities.

➢ Provide action oriented plans to maximize opportunities that arise.

➢ Evaluate various entry strategies and co-ordinate the firm and the foreign market, in choosing between these

strategies.

➢ Communicate effectively both orally in presentation form and in writing.

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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS

Avenue registration for course content, readings and case materials $FREE

➢ http://avenue.mcmaster.ca

HILL & MCKAIG, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, 4TH

CANADIAN ED., MCGRAW-HILL RYERSON, 2015. $99.95

Custom Courseware package which contains the articles and cases for discussion and two past

exams given in this course, for your interest. $15.00

OPTIONAL COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS

The Economist

Andrea Mandel-Campbell, Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson, Douglas and McIntyre, 2007

(You can find this book at:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=rE7vYrlrgBgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r

&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false)

Jim Rogers, Adventure Capitalist, Random House, 2003

COURSE WEBSITE

This course has an Avenue to Learn (ATL) site at http://avenue.mcmaster.ca. Your userid is the same as

your Mac e-mail id.

On this site you will find:

• outline slides in PowerPoint

• links to useful international business and other course-related websites.

• additional information about course evaluation components.

• course documents such as this syllabus, any amendments to the schedule.

• articles of interest • course updates

EVALUATION

Learning in this course results primarily from in-class discussion and participation of the students in discussions

with the instructor and in case analyses. You will also complete an analysis of the business environment in a

foreign country. The balance of the learning results from the work each student does in evaluating his/her

company of interest and in the interactions one has with members of his/her group. Work will be evaluated on

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both an individual and group basis. When group work is requested, group members will

share the same grade adjusted by individual efforts in presentations and writings based

on peer evaluations. Your final grade will be calculated as follows:

Components and Weights

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ #1 15% Individual May 13th – May 15th

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ #2 15% Individual May 22th – May 29th .

TD BANK CASE HAND-IN: 15% Individual May 17th 8:30am

CLASS PARTICIPATION: 10% Individual Ongoing

COUNTRY PRESENTATION: 15% Group Once in the term

REFLECTION 5% Individual Class following Country Presentation

PROJECT PROPOSAL Group Class # 3

INTERIM REPORT: 5% Group Class # 7

FINAL PRESENTATION: 20% Group Class 12 (and 13 for overflow)

Students who meet the expectations as laid out in this outline on all components can expect a grade of B in this course.

Grade Conversion At the end of the course your overall percentage grade will be converted to your letter grade in accordance with

the following conversion scheme:

LETTER GRADE PERCENT LETTER

GRADE

PERCENT

A+ 90-100 C+ 67-69

A 85-89 C 63-66

A- 80-84 C- 60-62

B+ 77-79 D+ 57-59

B 73-76 D 53-56

B- 70-72 D- 50-52

F 00-49

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COMMUNICATION AND FEEDBACK

Students who wish to correspond with instructors or TAs directly via email must send messages that originate

from their official McMaster University email account. This protects the confidentiality and sensitivity of

information as well as confirms the identity of the student. Emails regarding course issues should NOT be sent to

the Area Administrative Assistants.

Instructors are required to provide evaluation feedback for at least 10% of the final grade to students prior to

Week #8 in the term. Instructors may conduct an informal course review with students in Week #5 to allow time

for modifications in curriculum delivery.

Students who wish to have a course component re-evaluated must complete the following form:

http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/Students-AcademicStudies/Form_A.pdf

In order for the component to be re-read:

➢ The component must be worth 10% or more of the final grade in the course;

➢ Students pay a fee of $50 in Gilmour Hall 209 and the receipt is then brought to Student Experience -

Academic Office (formerly the APO) in DSB 112;

➢ The Area Chair will seek out an independent adjudicator to re-grade the component;

➢ An adjustment to the grade for the component will be made if a grade change of three points or greater on

the 12-point scale (equivalent to 10 marks out of 100) has been suggested by the adjudicator as assigned

by the Area Chair;

➢ If a grade change is made, the student fee will be refunded.

PARTICIPATION

This refers to the spoken comments that you make in class, which will normally be in the context of:

a case or article discussion

discussion of the theory

project presentation

Since your class participation is evaluated on its quality and its consistency, you should think carefully about

the contribution your comments will make to understanding and resolving the issues under discussion. In

addition, the competition for air time will often be intense, so try not to talk just for the sake of talking. Your

instructor and the other students will know when you are! LISTEN carefully to the discussion going on to avoid

repetition of comments already put forward.

On the other hand be sure you do speak out. This is the time and place to develop the assertiveness and

communication skills that are so necessary for success in business. There will be no other opportunity to

make up the 10% awarded, to your individual participation, by doing an alternate assignment. Attendance does

not constitute participation.

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The Teaching Assistant will make a note of each student’s participation. Name cards

are used to help give credit for your participation. I encourage you to make yourself

known to me by visiting briefly in my office. You may also check after class to ensure your contributions have

been accurately recorded. Credit will not be given to those students who are not adding value to the discussion

or who cannot be identified by a name tag. The TA will be present in all classes so your attendance and

preparedness in all classes becomes important.

Absence from class is a serious matter, since you can't participate if you're not there. Please let me know, as

you would the person chairing a business meeting, when you can't attend. Lack of attendance will have a

negative impact on your participation grade as well as your overall grade for the course. Hence attendance is

mandatory. Allowances will not be made for missed classes for any reason other than illness or funeral, both of

which require the proper documentation, within one week of returning to class. The course outline details when

the material will be presented. You may attend an alternate section to accommodate appointments, interviews,

etc.

The key to a high participation mark is making quality contributions to every class. Marks will be awarded on

both consistency and on quality. You are responsible to look up any terms or language that you are unfamiliar

with before class. You will receive a mark out of two for each class. Essentially, ‘0’ if you do not contribute.

Good (1) and Best (2) in relation to the other students in class for the other marks.

CASE PREPARATION

Some comments specifically regarding case discussions are in order. To prepare inadequately for them is to

deny yourself much of the learning that this course offers. To prepare adequately is to immerse yourself in each

case or article by reading it at least twice, the first reading to obtain an overview, the second to flush out the

detail. Make handwritten notes to facilitate your contribution to the class discussion, especially regarding any

discussion questions that your instructor leaves with you. Be prepared to devote at least two hours of solid

work to each case prior to the in-class discussion. I may periodically ask you to hand in your written analysis

for the purpose of assessing your preparation. I will be looking for your analysis.

You will get next to nothing out of a case discussion if you are not fully prepared, and you run the risk of being

embarrassed if I call upon you to contribute. If you are not prepared please let me know at the start of the class

to avoid embarrassment.

TERM TESTS

There will be 2 tests each of which will consist of 75 multiple choice questions and each is to be completed in

60 minutes. You may complete these tests at any time on the dates specified between 8am on the opening date

until 11:59pm on the ending date. They will be done on-line on Avenue and you will be allowed 60 minutes to

complete each in one session. The system will stop access at the 60 minute mark. The system will count down

your time and give you a one minute warning. If you have not submitted the test by the 60 minute mark, you

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will lose all of your answers so pay careful attention to this. You will not be able to re-

enter once you have left the test or the 60 minutes has elapsed. It will consist of questions from chapters as

specified plus any additional lecture material from class. You will be allowed to take each test a second time if

you choose to and the two test marks will be averaged for your final score.

Test 1: May 21th (Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 & 13)

Test 2: June 2nd – June 8th (Chapters 3, 8, 9, 10, 14 & 16)

PEER EVALUATIONS

The result of this process is a true reflection of each group members’ contribution to the assignment at hand. You

will be expected to resolve any residual conflict using the principle of FAIRNESS. Some members (i.e., those

that contribute the most to the process) may find that their overall project grade will go up as a result of the peer

evaluation. Others may find that their overall project grade will go down. I recommend that this reward system

be discussed during the first group meeting.

Past experience with groups has shown that most troubles arise because (a) individuals do not respect the group

process, and (b) there is lack of proper communication among group members. The first group meeting should

happen in the first two weeks. This is a good time to set the parameters for group work such as: when the group

will meet, attendance at group meetings including punctuality, and preliminary assignment of tasks. You should

also make a calendar of all “good” and “bad” times for the group (i.e., when group members have commitments

to work, tests, major assignments, classes, social commitments, holidays, etc.). The worst thing you can do is

surprise your group with a long-standing commitment at the last minute.

Peer evaluations not received will indicate an equal proportion of the work completed by each and every group

member. They must be signed off by each and every group member in order to be used. I will accept individual

evaluations from the members as long as there is agreement from the group or I deem it necessary to go this

route. Try to work through group disharmony, and if you are unable to resolve any matters, set up a group

meeting with me. I will be happy to assist in problem resolutions.

To assist you in coming to terms with group members who may not be performing up to standards, I am

requiring one interim peer evaluation per group, signed by all group members to be handed in with the interim

report. This is a good time to voice concerns and hopefully resolve them before the major portion of the project

is done. This is also a great tool to learn how to evaluate the performance of others and deliver that evaluation

verbally. Do not rubberstamp this review as evaluations not done carefully at this time can set the stage

for problems in the upcoming weeks. I will not accept interim peer evaluation with equal distribution of

the work completed.

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COUNTRY SPECIFIC BUSINESS ANALYSIS

The first 25 minutes of each lecture will be a student presentation on a country and how that country fits into the

international business environment. Allow 20 minutes for your presentation and 5 minutes for discussion.

Extensive research is required here as you are not only learning about how to do research and presentations but

also educating your fellow students about the country you chose. Make sure you are using current information.

(E.g.: Globe and Mail articles). Be critical in your assessment of your country. Do not rely solely on

government provided information as it may be biased.

Please include a comparison to Canada where appropriate to give meaning to the information.

You should give the class advice on whether or not to invest in your country. Advice on entry method should

also be included. Be specific here. Give examples of recent Canadian or American companies who have

invested in your country.

To allow each group a chance to do a presentation, these will begin the week of May 8th, in class #3. It is useful

for your classmates to have a one page handout of your presentation. Please include the group members’ names

on your handout as well as a list of the references you used.

Technical difficulties will result in your research not being presented and hence a grade of “0”. Please arrive in

the classroom early enough to ensure your presentation works on the equipment provided in the room. DSB505

is fully equipped for power point presentations so normally a USB flash key is all that is necessary to load your

presentation. Linked videos, etc. need to be done ahead of time. As a contingency, your presentation should be

e-mailed to one of your group members for back-up.

These presentations will be done in groups of 6 students depending on class size. The presentation will be

awarded a mark out of 15 to be distributed amongst the group members depending on the peer evaluation.

The presentations will be recorded for your review. Five other marks on the presentation will be awarded

individually based on the reflection you write on your personal strengths and weaknesses while presenting. You

will receive either an S- (3), S (4) or S+ (5) based on the thoughtfulness of your reflection.

Please provide your instructor and your TA with a copy of your power point presentation printed as a handout

with three slides per page, preferably back printed, before you present.

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Material to be covered includes but is not confined to:

Population demographics - age, family size, income Cultural issues - religion

- housing, etc - body language

- employment statistics - education

- skill level of the labour force - treatment of women

- business customs, etc.

Political issues - type of government Currency - value in relation to USD over

- incidence of terrorism, etc. the past two years on a monthly basis.

Trade barriers - tariff and non-tariff

- government incentives / restrictions targeting foreign investment, etc.

Legal issues - basis of law - corruption Economy - GDP

- contract law - human rights, etc. - income distribution, etc.

Balance of payments - top 5 imports Physical forces - topography

- top 5 exports - climatic conditions

- major trading partners - infrastructure

- location

In addition, the chart on the next page contains other issues to be included in the presentation. Marks will be

awarded based on the quality of the research, analytical skills, presentation skills, ability to stay at 20 minutes,

ability to answer and stimulate questions. The presentation should be interesting and you should know your

country well enough that reading notes will not be necessary. Reading takes away from the interest of your

presentation and will reflect in your mark. Practice your presentation before you present to the class to

overcome nervousness, check your timing and to ensure the PowerPoint operates well.

I respectfully ask you to show consideration for your peers during these presentations. As many of you

feel nervous when presenting, interruptions like people entering or leaving the room or cell phones

ringing can have a major damaging impact. Please show your peers respect while they are presenting and

they will show the same for you.

There is a required peer evaluation on page 25 of this outline to be handed in before you present. You will

receive a mark of “0” if this is not handed in. It is not a requirement to allocate the percentage of work done

unevenly between group members but it is important to have a discussion about group and individual

performance.

Be novel or creative in your approach. Two thirds of your grade will come from the material presented;

the other part will be presentation interest and skills. I will be looking for your analysis. The standard

will increase as the term progresses as you have the advantage of time and experience the later in the

term you present.

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The country selection and class numbers are as follows:

CLASS

NUMBER COUNTRY

3 China (guanxi)

4 Scotland

5 Quiz Day

6 Cambodia

7 Mexico (mirreyes)

8 Japan (keirestu)

9 Republic of Congo

10 India (diversity)

11 Peru

INDIVIDUAL CASE HAND IN

Using the case in your courseware, called Lyft, rank the countries/cities in the order of importance for

expansion, to Lyft. Provide a four page summary of your ranking with your justification. A signed copy of the

declaration on page 24 of this outline must be personally delivered in class #6. There will be a 25% reduction in

your mark for any submissions that don’t have a signed declaration handed in in person on the aforementioned

day.

This assignment is individual. A four page (maximum) electronic submission is required by noon on Tuesday,

May 21st, 2019 No assignments will be accepted late so please don’t wait to the last minute to do this.

The submission should contain your ranking, in order, as well as a rationale for the selection criteria used. You

should also provide a conclusion. Be prepared to discuss and defend your findings. Quantify your selection by

developing a scoring method for your criteria. No appendices will be accepted for this assignment but if you

researched information outside of the case then you should provide a list of those references using endnotes and

superscript only. Bibliographies are not necessary.

Your paper should be submitted through “turnitin.com.” Our class ID is:_______ and enrolment key is:

_______. You will have to set up a profile the first time you use turnitin. This must be completed before turnitin

will accept your assignment. Turnitin.com is a plagiarism detection service. Turnitin.com checks your

submission against the internet, published works and Turnitin’s database for similar or identical work. Please

save your file in the following format: Surname, Given name, Student#. Please also only use Microsoft Word

(any version) for this assignment. Do not cut and paste into turnitin. You have to upload your file. You will

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receive confirmation from turnitin that your submission has been accepted both at the time of submission and

via e-mail. Do not delete this e-mail confirmation until you have had the assignment marked and returned to

you. This is just a precaution. Please Do Not e-mail me a second copy as a precaution. This takes up a lot of

time for me and slows the process of getting the assignment printed.

I will be printing your submission according to the standard set out under “Written Deliverables. Submissions

through turnitin do not necessarily look as you intended but will format correctly when downloaded

through “Word.”

I will accept a copy of your assignment via e-mail but it must meet the deadline as stated here. The date and

time stamp in my in-box will decide if the deadline has been met. The assignment will be subjected to a Google

search or some other kind of search engine. To see guidelines for the use of Turnitin.com, please go to:

http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity/turnitin/students/index.htm

WRITTEN DELIVERABLES

Unless otherwise directed, all hand-in assignments are expected to be in the best business standard. That being:

double- spaced, 1” margins all around and 12 point font in Times New Roman. Any that do not meet this

standard will find that the entire paper will not be marked. The marker will estimate where the material would

have ended if the proper standard was employed and stop marking there. You must also include a cover page

that clearly identifies: the assignment title, your name(s), date, section and course number at a minimum. Cover

pages and endnotes are not included in the page count.

TERM PROJECT

The project is done in the same group as your country presentation. There will be a self-and-peer evaluation at

the end of the course to aid me in translating your group’s mark for the interim report and the project

presentation, to individual marks.

The objectives of the project are as follows:

· to give students the opportunity to research the theory in a specific area of international business in

greater depth than that achieved in lectures and case discussions.

· to give students the opportunity to apply the theory to the international activities of a real company.

· to give students practice in presenting the results of a major project.

· to simulate the teamwork that is increasingly important in the business world.

As for the subject of your project virtually any IB topic is possible. The key is to pick a company with major IB

activities and then to choose one of those activities for detailed study (e.g. acquisition, joint venture, licensing,

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establishing host-country facilities, marketing, target market selection, sourcing, hedging, personnel selection

and training, etc.). That activity is of course the focus of the considerable primary and secondary research that

the project entails. The activity must be outside of Canada and the US. This is a consulting assignment not a

case study so you will need to look into the future and make recommendations to your company on how to

proceed with the activity.

As a second alternative, you may also choose to launch a new product in the country of your choice (excluding

Canada and the US). A complete analysis of the chosen country and the theory applied to the launch is required

here. It is not necessary to have a primary contact for this assignment.

Key project events are submission of your project proposal, handing in of interim report and presentation of

your final presentation. Dates for these key events are shown in the SCHEDULE.

CHOOSING YOUR COMPANY AND IB ACTIVITY

These choices are critical. Past experience of supervising and marking student projects have taught me the

following key points, which I pass on for your consideration:

Students are better motivated, and learn more, when the company, and its IB activity are of personal interest to

them.

More secondary information is available on large companies than on small ones, and on listed companies than

on unlisted ones.

Primary research is used to update, augment and give perspective to your secondary research. Thus it is

important that you have solid primary sources within the company you are researching. By “solid” I mean

relatives, friends, former or current employers, etc.

Companies which students have worked with in the past will be acceptable only on approval of the instructor

and after having received a complete copy of the previous paper.

PROJECT PROPOSAL (due week 3 in class.)

Think of your project proposal as a two-page (maximum) memo to me that achieves the following:

1) identifies the members of the group (names, sections and student numbers). Please also include the phone

number of at least one group member so I can reach you with information pertaining to your project. (You do

not need a separate cover page for this proposal)

2) identifies the company and IB activity you have chosen, and states why you chose them.

3) identifies the IB management theory you will be applying. See your text for ideas here. Your

recommendations will be based on this theory.

4) specifies the country you will be targeting. (unless you plan on a target market selection as the IB

management theory)

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5) identifies detailed planned start and finish dates for key activities. This should be quite detailed and become

your check sheet for accomplishing tasks.

6) designates the weekly group meeting times and how the group will communicate outside of the regular

meeting (eg: google docs).

7) specifies any penalties for being late, missing meetings or not coming to the meeting with the assigned work

prepared, and how that will be reflected on the peer evaluations.

I will discuss any concerns I have with your proposal. No discussion from me means proceed.

There is no requirement for a cover page.

INTERIM REPORT (due week 7 in class)

A ten page submission of the data and information gathered is required for hand in week 7. Do not include

appendices or references here as they will not be marked. For this report, please just tidy up the file you have

been building, print it and hand it in. It is a work in process and a chance for me to be in your group to provide

feedback.

Please use the form on page 23 of this outline for your interim peer evaluation. This is mandatory to receive

marks. Use this opportunity to practice your management skills of critically assessing each other’s performance

to date. I will not accept equal distribution on this review.

The interim report will be evaluated based on: a clear objective or problem definition, the information on

your company and country gathered as well as much of the analysis. Also a clear indication of which IB

theory you will be applying and how it applies, in your situation, will be necessary.

For groups completing a target market selection, your adaptation of the target market selection model

constitutes your IB theory and I will be looking for the first round of cuts in place of the country

information.

FINAL PRESENTATION (Week 12 in class)

You may, and should, invite your company contact to attend your presentation. This will provide them with a

look at the work you have done throughout the term and allow them to provide feedback to you. I request that

you let me know in advance that you will have a company representative in class on the day you present. This

enables me make any scheduling accommodations necessary.

The format of your final presentation depends a good deal on your choice of company and IB activity or chosen

country. However, as a minimum, you will want to include the following sections:

1)Introduction / Objective

2)Company background.

3)How is the company handling the activity currently or how would a company launch the new product.

4)International Management Theory to be applied. This provides your group with options to assess and base

your recommendation on.

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5)Analysis and evaluation of current results. If your company has no experience in the

international environment then find an alternate company to use for benchmarking purposes.

6)Analysis of the business environment in the host country as it pertains to your project.

7)Your recommendation for handling the IB activity.

8)References (Only those which were used.)

Two copies of your PowerPoint slides must be handed into the instructor prior to your presentation. Please use a

format of 3 slides per page and back-print the pages if your printer can handle this option. Failure to submit the

printed copies prior to your presentation will result in a mark reduction. Printed versions will not be accepted

after the presentation. You must list your references on your power point presentation either on each slide or as

a final slide. Remember, you will be presenting this to your client so make sure your presentation is to the best

business standard and that you practice beforehand to work out the bugs. If your company sends a

representative to watch the presentation, then please also provide them with a copy of your power point slides.

In marking your presentation I will use the following as an approximate breakdown:

· clear statement of objective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20%

· research (amount and quality of primary and

secondary data collected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 30%

· analysis (your interpretation of the data you collect, how you relate it

· to IB theory, the conclusions you draw short of recommended action) . . . . 30%

· recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%

· presentation skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%

DETAILS OF FINAL PRESENTATION

You have twenty minutes maximum, including time for questions and answers, to tell your story to your

classmates and myself. In marking your final presentation, keep in mind its objectives, as follows:

· to give you practice in preparing for, and delivering a presentation

· to make your classmates more effective business people.

· provide useful information about a company and how it manoeuvres in the international arena.

Within these general parameters I leave the exact format of your presentation to you. All members of the group

must present to be awarded any marks for the project. Attendance during presentations is mandatory and will

be recorded. I may ask you to evaluate your peer’s presentations.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects of the learning process. Academic

credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity.

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Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a

way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage. This

behaviour can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment,

loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”),

and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various

types of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, located at:

www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been

obtained.

2. Improper collaboration in group work.

3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations

In this course we will be using a web-based service (Turnitin.com) to reveal plagiarism. Students will be

expected to submit their work electronically to Turnitin.com and in hard copy so that it can be checked for

academic dishonesty. Students who do not wish to submit their work to Turnitin.com must still submit a copy to

the instructor. No penalty will be assigned to a student who does not submit work to Turnitin.com. All

submitted work is subject to normal verification that standards of academic integrity have been upheld (e.g., on-

line search, etc.). To see the Turnitin.com Policy, please go to;

http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity/turnitin/students/

REQUESTING RELIEF FOR MISSED ACADEMIC WORK

Students may request relief from a regularly scheduled midterm, test, assignment or other course component in

the following ways:

a) for absences from classes lasting up to three (3) days;

b) for absences from classes lasting more than three (3) days; or

c) for conflicts arising from Student Experience - Academic Office approved events

a) for absences from classes lasting up to three (3) days:

Students must use the MSAF (McMaster Student Absence Form). This is an on-line, self-reporting tool,

for which submission of medical or other types of supporting documentation is normally not required.

Students may use this tool to submit a maximum of one (1) request for relief of missed academic work

per term as long as the weighting of the component is worth less than 25% of the course weight. Students

must follow up with their course instructors regarding the nature of the relief within two days of submitting

the form. Failure to do so may negate the opportunity for relief. It is the prerogative of the instructor of

Page 16 of 24


the course to determine the appropriate relief for missed term

work in his/her course. Details are described below.

If the value of the component is worth 25% or more, students must report to their Faculty Office (the

Student Experience – Academic Office for Commerce students) to discuss their situation and will be

required to provide appropriate supporting documentation.

Please visit the following page for more information about MSAF:

http://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=18&navoid=3204#Requests_for_Relief_for

_Missed_Academic_Term_Work

b) for absences from classes lasting more than three (3) days:

Students cannot use the MSAF. They MUST report to their Faculty Office (the Student Experience –

Academic Office for Commerce students) to discuss their situation and will be required to provide

appropriate supporting documentation.

Students who wish to submit more than one request for relief of missed academic work per term cannot

use the MSAF. They must report to the Student Experience – Academic Office and discuss their situation

with an academic advisor. They will be required to provide supporting documentation and possibly meet

with the Manager.

c) for conflicts arising from Student Experience - Academic Office approved events:

Students unable to write a mid-term at the posted exam time due to the following reasons: religious; work-

related (for part-time students only); representing university at an academic or varsity athletic event;

conflicts between two overlapping scheduled mid-term exams; or other extenuating circumstances, have

the option of applying for special exam arrangements. Please see the DeGroote Missed Course Work

Policy for a list of conflicts that qualify for academic accommodation:

http://ug.degroote.mcmaster.ca/forms-and-resources/missed-course-work-policy/

Such requests must be made to the Student Experience – Academic Office at least ten (10) working days

before the scheduled exam along with acceptable documentation. Non-Commerce students must submit

their documentation to their own Faculty Office and then alert the Student Experience – Academic Office

of their interest in an alternate sitting of the midterm.

Adjudication of all requests must be handled by the Student Experience – Academic Office. Instructors

cannot allow students to unofficially write make-up exams/tests.

The MSAF cannot be used during any final examination period.

If a mid-term exam is missed without a valid reason, students will receive a grade of zero (0) for that

component.

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POLICY FOR APPROVED MISSED ACADEMIC WORK

Students who cannot write a test, and have advanced knowledge and permission as described above, will be given

the opportunity to write an alternate version of the test at an alternate time.

Students who did not write a test, and subsequently provide an MSAF submission, or documentation for which

they have been approved by the Student Experience – Academic Office, will have the weight of the missed work

reallocated across other course components or an alternate evaluation. The student must follow up with the

instructor to understand this process and decision.

Students who submit an MSAF, or have been approved by the Student Experience – Academic Office, for an

assignment deadline, will be given an extension for the assignment at the discretion of the instructor. Please note,

the student will ultimately be required to submit the assignment.

In the case of assignments for this course, there will be no exceptions to the deadlines presented here or

reweighting of marks as the assignment information has been declared in this outline and provided to

students on their first day of class, hence there is no need to wait until the last minute to complete them.

STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) offers various support services for students with disabilities. Students are

required to inform SAS of accommodation needs for course work at the outset of term. Students who require

academic accommodation must contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to make arrangements with a

Program Coordinator. Academic accommodations must be arranged for each term of study. Student

Accessibility Services can be contacted by phone 905-525-9140 ext. 28652 or e-mail [email protected].

For further information, consult McMaster University’s Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with

Disabilities:

http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/Students-AcademicStudies/AcademicAccommodation-

StudentsWithDisabilities.pdf

POTENTIAL MODIFICATION TO THE COURSE

The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university

may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification

becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and

the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and

course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COURSE POLICIES

Your registration and continuous participation (e.g. on A2L, in the classroom, etc.) to the various learning

activities of Commerce 4SA3 will be considered to be an implicit acknowledgement of the course policies

outlined above, or of any other that may be announced during lecture and/or on A2L. It is your responsibility to

read this course outline, to familiarize yourself with the course policies and to act accordingly.

Lack of awareness of the course policies cannot be invoked at any point during this course for failure to meet

them. It is your responsibility to ask for clarification on any policies that you do not understand.

LECTURES

I have included a topic schedule and text readings for you on the next few pages. Please read the text pages

before class as I will often times assume your understanding of the material and lecture from there. All material

in the text, cases, country presentations, articles and class discussions is testable. Preparing yourself for class

ahead of time will make the writing of the exam much easier and also make the lecture time more interesting.

That said, I leave what you get out of this course to you.

CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS

In consideration of all your peers and your instructor, please turn off all cell phones before entering the

classroom unless there is a pending emergency. Cell phones ringing during lectures and discussions are an

interruption. If you are using a laptop to take notes or to look up info occasionally requested by your instructor,

laptops are welcome. They are not to be used for any other purpose as this is distracting to students sitting near

you. Your consideration is appreciated.

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COURSE SCHEDULE

DATE CLASS

NO. TOPIC AND ACTIVITIES

READINGS

IN TEXT

May

7th

1

Introduction to International Business: Format of the course. Quiz. Nature

of IB.

Ethics and Social Responsibility. (Read Only)

Chapters

1 & 4

May

9th 2

Introduction to International Business (cont’d): Putting Canada in the

picture.

Trade Theories : (Read Only)

International Organizations: UN, NATO, the World Bank, GATT or World

Trade Organization. OECD, the IMF and OPEC

Political Forces: Understanding, assessing and protecting yourself against

political risks. Country risk assessment.

Legal Forces : Laws applying to IB

Chapters

2, 5 & 6

May

14th 3

Country : China

International Business Strategy: Globalization and multi domesticity

Entry strategies. The termite strategy.

Case Discussion: Samsung China. (part of courseware pack)

Project proposals due for hand-in in class.

Chapters

7, 11, 12 &

13

May

16th

4

Country: Scotland

Balance of payments: How it is laid out and how to use it to predict future

government imperfections.

The International Monetary System: The Gold Standard. Bretton Woods.

IMF. Exchange rate regimes. Purchasing power parity.

Stop and Go Questionnaire

Chapter 9

May

21st

5

Quiz 1: in class

Financial Aspects of the International Environment: Currency and capital

markets. Financial risk management. Currency Swaps. Natural and

contractual hedging. Counter trade.

Article Discussion: Our Puny Loonie (part of courseware pack.)

Chapter 10

Page 20 of 24


May

23rd 6

Country: Cambodia

Stop and Go Review

International Market Research: Selecting target markets. The process of

obtaining primary and secondary data. Estimating market size.

Case Assignment:Lyft (submission May 21st by noon.) See pages 10 &

11 for details.

Declaration due for hand in in class as requested by your instructor.

May

28th

7

Country: Mexico

Economic Integration: Types with pros and cons to bloc and non-bloc

countries. The European Union (EU). NAFTA and other blocs.

Article Discussion: Murder Most Foul (part of courseware)

Interim Reports due for hand-in in class this week.

Chapter

8

May

30th 8

Country: Japan

Culture : Aspects of culture and impact on IB. Hofstede’s cultural model.

Case: National Office Machines (part of courseware pack)

Chapter 3

June

4th 9

Country: Republic of Congo

Marketing: Factors for standardization vs. customization. Product and

promotion adaptation.

Chapter 14

June 6th

10

Country: India

Marketing (cont): Pricing in foreign markets. Distribution.

Case: Indian Villagers Set to do Battle (part of courseware pack)

Chapter 16

June

11th

11

Country: Peru

Labour Forces: International jobs and employees. Personal considerations.

Desirable personal attributes.

Human Resources: Recruiting, training and developing, compensating and

repatriating international personnel in foreign countries.

Case Discussion: Office Equipment Company (OEC) (part of courseware

pack)

June

13th 12

BREAK for Presentations preparations

June 18th

13 Final Presentations

Page 21 of 24


FINAL PEER EVALUATION (OPTIONAL)

Company Name: ___________________________________________________

Group Members Names in ABC Allocation of Signature order work done (% to total) ____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

Page 22 of 24


INTERIM PEER EVALUATION (MANDATORY)

THIS PAGE TO BE SUBMITTED WITH INTERIM REPORT

Company Name: ___________________________________________________ Group Members Names in ABC Allocation of Signature order work done (% to total) ____________________________ ___________ __________________________ ____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________

____________________________ ___________ __________________________ ____________________________ ___________ __________________________

You may not equally distribute the allocation of work done for this evaluation. Choice for Final Presentation Eg: Core 1 April 2nd 1st Choice___________

Page 23 of 24


2nd Choice___________ ________________________________________ ________________ _____________ __________________________ _______________________ ___________ __________________________

DECLARATION

From: _________________ ________________________

(First Name) (Surname)

To: Professor Stockton / Fung

I promise that I did not consult in any way with anyone as I completed this assignment. I also promise I did not

use the work completed by any past student in this course. I agree not to allow future use of my assignment “TD”

by any person(s) enrolled in Commerce 4SA3 subsequent to this term. I understand that if I do, at a minimum,

my mark on this assignment will be reduced to zero and my final grade recalculated. I also understand that this

will be brought before the Academic Integrity Office for their ruling on the matter.

Signed ____________________________________________________________

Date _______________________________

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PEER EVALUATION FOR COUNTRY PRESENTATION

Country Presented: _____________________________________________________

Date and Section: _______________________________________________________

Member’s Name Signature Allocation

of Work

Comments:

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Commerce 4SA3 - International Business SUMMER 2019 Course … · 2019-07-30 · Page 1 of 24 4SA3 – Spring 2019 Commerce 4SA3 - International Business SUMMER 2019 Course Outline

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